Ensuring greater diversity in the technology sector is not only the right thing to do but it also makes good business sense. Progressive technology companies do not see diversity as a problem to be solved, but rather as a strength to be leveraged.

Ada Lovelace Day provides a great opportunity for Where Women Work to celebrate the companies who understand the importance of diversity within the technology sector and who pave paving the way for a more inclusive and enriched industry.

Celebrating a pioneering women in creative computing

Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace was a truly pioneering women in computing. She collaborated with inventor Charles Babbage on his general purpose computing machine, the Analytical Engine. All the way back in 1843, Ada published what we would now call a computer program to generate Bernoulli Numbers. While Charles Babbage had written fragments of programs before, Ada's work was the most complete and the most elaborate - and the first published.

More importantly, Ada was the first person to take a creative approach to computing. She explained how it could do so much more than calculate numbers, but could also contribute to music and the arts, given the right programming and inputs. Her vision of computing possibilities was unmatched by any of her peers.

Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated on the second Tuesday in October and the day provides a useful moment to reinforce the importance of women in STEM. The day also highlights the work of companies who are leading the way in encouraging diversity and inclusion within STEM. Ada Lovelace Day also helps raise awareness and challenge industry stereotypes.

Women have choice to work for a tech employer they believe in

With the war for female talent in STEM being so prolific, women have a significant amount of choice regarding who they wish to work for. Here are just some of the most progressive companies actively supporting women in STEM.

HCL Technologies creates the ideal workplace for senior women in tech

HCL Technologies is truly a 21st century workplace. It unveiled its state-of-the-art Cyber Security Fusion Center in Texas and its Digital Workplace Services that creates an environment where places, time, devices, platforms and languages are seamlessly integrated together.

But HCL also has a modern outlook on inclusion and diversity, from giving women support at senior level to to nurturing the next generation of women leaders through an innovative programme.

F5 champions senior women thriving in tech-related roles

Tech company and diversity champion F5 has some truly impressive women in tech leadership such as Kara Sprague, Executive Vice President and General Manager of F5 Networks Application Services business unit.

Kara often offers many insightful pieces of industry knowledge and advice for women wanting to work in the tech sector, like her thought-leadership article on the importance of apps.

From AWS to Alexa, women at Amazon help drive innovation

Amazon is one of the best places to work for innovators and always taps into its talent pool of tech-savvy women to drive innovation across its operations – like Lavinia, who is part of the team that develops Alexa, AWS Programme Manager Ramat, who encourages young girls into STEM, or Rosine, who maintains the equipment for the Robotic section of Amazon’s fulfillment center in France.

Diageo scholarships encourage more women into STEM careers

Diageo is well known for being a progressive company that invests in gender equality across the board. A particular focus is technology, which in itself can advance the company but, with an inclusive approach, will bring about pioneering innovations.

One initiative includes a scholarship in partnership with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to attract more female students in STEM careers.

McDonald’s is at the forefront of pioneering tech projects

McDonald’s is the place to be for exciting tech-related initiatives – like their acquisition of Apprente, a conversational voice-based tech start-up, and its unveiling of its innovative restaurants of the future.

McDonald’s wants people from a diverse range of backgrounds to work on these initiatives, something it officially states in its global strategy Better Together: Gender Balance & Diversity  – because innovation is definitely done better together!

Capgemini women mentor young people in code through Digital Academy

Women in tech can unlock many opportunities at Capgemini UK, but they can also use help others unlock their own potential through the company’s Digital Academy Programme.

Through this initiative, that teaches young people to code for career success, women can act as mentors to pass on their skills and experiences to the next generation of tech innovators.

Cool company 84.51° uses tech to enhance customer experience

84.51° - one of Cincinnati's coolest companies – has tech and diversity at its core and is always looking for free thinkers who are passionate about data and science.

Free thinkers like Director Lauren Littlejohn and Lead Consultant Kate Cullen who are working on tech projects to better connect to customers, such as leveraging data to focus marketing on a target audience. 

Eaton’s Centre for Intelligent Power welcomes women in tech

Dublin in Ireland is a city thriving with high tech roles, and Eaton is firmly amidst this great innovatve city.

Eaton’s Centre for Intelligent Power (CIP) is the company’s latest addition to their already existing operations in Ireland and is set to expand, which means loads of opportunities for women in tech – like Pia and Mudi, two interns who worked at Eaton on cutting-edge projects.

Honeywell inspires the next generation of women innovators

Honeywell is home to so many fantastic women innovators, but the company also understands the importance of inspiring the next generation to continue the pipeline of women in tech.

Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF) helps young girls get education in STEM subjects, while its STEM Teacher Leadership Programme trains teachers in code so they can pass on their skills to pupils.

Senior women leaders at Vodafone secure innovative tech partnerships

Vodafone harnesses technology to build a better future for everyone and it positions its senior women to lead innovative projects.

CEO Europe Cluster Serpil Timuray, a Top 100 Female Executive, played an instrumental part in launching an ambitious programme that sees a technology partnership between Vodafone and the Maltese Government.

University of Sheffield celebrates women computer scientists

The University of Sheffield has many impressive computing scientists - and celebrates some of them via it's fabulous Wall of Women.

Do you want a Prime Employer to help drive your tech career?

Ada Lovelace Day is a good time to reflect on your own career in tech and whether your company is working towards breaking down barriers for women in the industry.

If you feel like you haven’t reached your full potential, maybe it’s time to check out jobs with some of the most progressive companies in tech.

Find out more